Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a “jets coalition” to supply warplanes to Kyiv during crunch talks with Rishi Sunak today.
He urged Western allies to send fighter aircraft to his war-ravaged country so his forces could reclaim control of the skies.
The plea came as Ukraine prepares for a long-awaited counter-offensive to drive back Russian invaders.
Following more than two hours of negotiations with the Prime Minister at Chequers, Mr Zelensky said: "Today we spoke about the jets - very important topic for us because we can't control the sky."
He added: "We want to create this jets coalition and I'm very positive with it.
"We spoke about it and I see that in the closest time you will hear some, I think, very important decisions - but we have to work a little bit more on it."
Visiting London in February, Mr Zelensky stepped his calls for fighter jets, urging allies to provide “wings for freedom”.
His barnstorming speech in Parliament three months ago fuelled hopes that nations could send aircraft to boost Kyiv in the grinding 15-month conflict against Russian forces.
Ukraine has since said it wants F-16 jets - which the UK does not operate.
But, following the Chequers talks with Mr Zelensky, No 10 said an elementary flying phase for Ukrainian pilots will begin this summer, alongside British UK efforts to work with other countries on providing F-16s.
The PM tweeted: “We will open a new UK flying school giving Ukrainian pilots the training they need to handle different types of aircraft, enabling them to better defend their citizens against Russian aggression.”
But he signalled Britain could not directly send fighter planes.
"It is not a straightforward thing, as Volodymyr and I have been discussing, to build up that fighter combat aircraft capability,” he warned.
"It's not just the provision of planes - it's also the training of pilots and all the logistics that go alongside that and the UK can play a big part in that.
"One thing we will be doing starting, actually relatively soon, is training of Ukrainian pilots and that's something we've discussed today and we're ready to implement those plans in relatively short order."
Ukrainian hero Mr Zelensky landed in the grounds of the PM’s official country residence on an unannounced trip just after 9.15am.
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Two RAF Chinooks touched down on the lawn at the 16th Century Buckinghamshire mansion amid tight security.
The PM was waiting to greet Mr Zelensky as he stepped out of the giant helicopter.
The President was dressed in his trademark green military fatigues for the meeting, while Mr Sunak was in a dark blue suit, white shirt and blue tie.
Standing in the Hawtrey Room, the PM told him of Chequers’ history - and compared Mr Zelensky to Britain’s Second World War premier.
“You are actually the first foreign leader that I have had the privilege of welcoming here as Prime Minister,” said the Tory premier.
“There’s a lot of great history here.
“In fact, this room that we are standing in, Winston Churchill made many of his famous speeches in World War Two from this room.
“In the same way today, your leadership, your country’s bravery and fortitude are an inspiration to us all.”
Mr Zelensky praised the UK’s backing for his regime, telling the PM: "Your support is already a lot for us, you did a lot - you, your Government and His Majesty the King and of course your people, your society.
“We are thankful from all our hearts, from Ukrainians, from our soldiers, we are thankful."
As the talks got underway, No10 confirmed the latest supply of vital military gear - including “hundreds of air defence missiles and further unmanned aerial systems including hundreds of new long-range attack drones with a range of over 200km” - to Ukraine.
“These will all be delivered over the coming months as Ukraine prepares to intensify its resistance to the ongoing Russian invasion,” added Downing Street.
The PM said: “This is a crucial moment in Ukraine’s resistance to a terrible war of aggression they did not choose or provoke.
“They need the sustained support of the international community to defend against the barrage of unrelenting and indiscriminate attacks that have been their daily reality for over a year.
“We must not let them down.
“The frontlines of Putin’s war of aggression may be in Ukraine but the fault lines stretch all over the world. It is in all our interest to ensure Ukraine succeeds and Putin’s barbarism is not rewarded.
“That is why the UK is sustaining our support to Ukraine – from tanks to training, ammunition to armoured vehicles – and this message of solidarity will ring loud in all my meetings with fellow world leaders in the days ahead.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit the alliance’s annual summit in Lithuania would “send a very clear message of support to Ukraine”.
He said Kyiv needed “military strength to defend and deter against further aggression from Russia”.
Ukraine is expected to join NATO eventually, which would give it the protection of the alliance’s Article V - setting out that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
Speaking via video link from NATO's Brussels headquarters, Mr Stoltenberg said countries could before then sign their own deals with Kyiv, giving Ukraine protection “very close to Article V”.
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